Birkin Haward (7 or 16 October 1912 – 9 February 2002) was a British Modernist architect, antiquarian, author and artist, described as "one of the foremost post-war regional architects" by Historic England. In his early architectural career, he worked at the practice of Erich Mendelsohn and Serge Chermayeff in London, where he collaborated on two important Modernist buildings, 64 Old Church Street, Chelsea, and the De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill-on-Sea.
After the Second World War, Haward's work focused in the east of England, from a base in his home town of Ipswich (1946–82). He became particularly known for his Modernist designs for schools, several of which have been recognised as listed buildings: primary schools at Rushmere (1947–49) and on Sprites Lane (1956), as well as the library at Ipswich School (1980–82). His other listed buildings are the Castle Hill Congregational Church (1955–56) and his home, The Spinney (1960), both in Ipswich. During the post-war period he also designed housing projects, hospital buildings, sports halls, and commercial and industrial buildings.
After his retirement in 1982, Haward published books on Victorian ecclesiastical stained glass and medieval church architecture. He was an amateur artist, and some of his works have been exhibited after his death.
Early life and education
Haward was born in Ipswich, Suffolk, in 1912. He was named "Birkin" for his maternal family. He attended Bracondale School in Norwich, where he studied art and draughtsmanship. After leaving school, he worked at the Ipswich architectural practice of Cautley and Barefoot (1929–32), where he was mentored by H. Munro Cautley, an expert in ecclesiastical architecture who served as surveyor for the St Edmundsbury and Ipswich diocese.
He left Cautley and Barefoot to attend the Bartlett School of Architecture at the University of London (1932–34), where he was taught by A. E. Richardson. There he was disappointed to find that then-contemporary giants in the architectural field such as Le Corbusier and Frank Lloyd Wright failed to feature in the curriculum, which as he later noted, did not continue far into the 19th century. In 1933 he toured the Netherlands by bicycle, which stimulated his interest in modern styles practised on the Continent, particularly the work of Le Corbusier, Willem Dudok and Erich Mendelsohn.
Early career and war service
In 1934, Haward joined Mendelsohn's partnership with Serge Chermayeff and their assistant Hannes Schreiner, remaining there until the practice's closure. At the London practice he was involved in the design of 64 Old Church Street, Chelsea (1936), considered a Modernist classic, and also worked on the De La Warr Pavilion at Bexhill-on-Sea. In 1935, he spent six months near Jerusalem with Schreiner, establishing the firm's Palestine office and working on multiple commissions there. During his time at the practice Haward also entered many competitions, never winning but placing second in two, including a well-publicised 1937 News Chronicle competition to design a school in Richmond, North Yorkshire.
After Mendelsohn and Chermayeff's partnership was wound up, Haward remained in London and continued to work for Chermayeff until 1938. His politics were to the left, and he joined the Communist party. Like other left-leaning Modernist architects of his generation, he advocated for housing improvements and the construction of air-raid shelters, and he worked on the latter with Berthold Lubetkin and his company Tecton. In 1941–42, he designed accommodation for ordnance factory workers in Staffordshire, in a group directed by William Holford. He created a mural in one hostel. In 1942–43, he managed the Association of Architects, Surveyors and Technical Assistants trades union. In April 1943, he joined the Royal Engineers' 82 Assault Regiment and served in France and Germany, with the rank of lieutenant.
Post-war career
Haward was demobilised at the start of 1946. By this time, he had a growing family in Ipswich and, instead of returning to work in London, decided to join Martin Slater's firm in the town, Johns and Slater. He was made a partner in 1949; the firm became Johns, Slater and Haward in 1953.